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Editorial: Puyallup should be wary of initatives, referendums

The number of statewide initiatives and referendums to qualify for November’s general election ballot won’t be known until July 3, but it’s possible that voters could be overwhelmed with them this fall.

Seventy-seven proposals to enact new laws or repeal existing ones have been filed with the Washington Secretary of State’s Office, though all must submit more than 241,000 valid signatures to make the ballot. Undoubtedly, many of those proposals will fail. But even if only a fraction survive, we’re in for quite a war of words come campaign season, a war that will surely confuse a large number of voters.

Putting these proposals on the ballot is also costly in terms of dollars.

Are Puyallup residents prepared to pay the costs to participate? It could happen. The Puyallup City Council is prepared to talk about instituting initiatives and referendums at a meeting in late July. That move could take a hot-button issue — term limits — out of the council’s hands and place it into the public’s.

While it seems like a fair way of doing business, giving the people a say in how their government is run, there are questions to be asked: Why have a representative democracy if lawmakers’ decisions are constantly overturned? Are we being irresponsible with our own tax dollars by spending money to fund such a system?

Before giving themselves more of a voice, the people must ask themselves if they’re simply hamstringing the political process.